Aug. 26: Texas Experts weigh in on RNC expectations

Newsmakers airs on Sunday at 10 a.m.

HOUSTON – There was no shortage of opinion or passion as political experts joined Khambrel Marshall on this weeks' Houston Newsmakers. It takes only moments for sparks to fly as this weeks guests disagree about what Republicans need to do to take back the White House.

Is it all about the economy? Or should Medicare be a major focal point as well?

In a very spirited discussion, Bill Calhoun, the Chair of the Texas Federation for Republican Outreach, argues that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan can and will win the White House by making economy the focus.  Calhoun's organization works to recruit African Americans into the Republican Party and says this is the year when Blacks will return in big numbers to the Republican fold to defeat President Obama.

Jared Woodfill, the Chair of the Harris County Republican Party joins the fray with statistics about why the Republican Convention will help highlight why four more years of President Obama is not an option.

Jenard Jenkins is the Communications Chair for the Harris County Democratic Party and says the Republican party is "reeling" and is engaging in an "assault on women's rights and reproductive health." and those are the tamer parts of the conversation!

Also this week, some of the top political scientists in SE Texas weigh in with their academic analysis of what has to happen next week for the Republicans to seize the momentum and win the White House. Professor Mark Jones is the Chair of the Political Science Department at Rice University. Professor Franklin Jones is Chairman of the Political Science Department at Texas Southern University and Professor Jeremy Bailey is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Houston, specializing in U.S. Politics and American Political Thought.

Make sure you tune in for Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall Sunday at 10 a.m., right after Meet the Press with David Gregory.

More Information:

  • Bill Calhoun, Chair-Texas Federation for Republican Outreach, 713-772-1804, www.Txfro.org
  • Jenard Jenkins, Communications Chair, Harris County Democratic Party, 713-802-0085, www.hcdp.org
  • Jared Woodfill,  Chair-Harris County Republican Party, 713-838-7900, www.harriscountygop.com
  • Professor Jeremy Bailey, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Houston, 713-743-2255, www.uh.edu/honors/about/faculty-staff/jeremy-bailey.php
  • Professor Mark Jones, Ph.D.  Chair-Political Science, Rice University 713-348-4842, www.poli@rice.edu
  • Professor Franklin Jones, Ph.D. Chair-Political Science , Texas Southern University  713-313-7011, www.tsu.edu